The present invention relates generally to billing for information, goods, services and the like made available to a user on a computer or data network, and more particularly, to a method for such billing and collection linked to a separate telephone connection associated with a billing network that manages and bills for access to information over the computer or data network.
With the advent of data networks such as the Internet, World Wide Web, bulletin board systems, and commercial on-line services, electronic commerce has become one of the fastest growing segments of the economy. The most readily available form of commerce is the exchange of information to an end-user for payment. While these data networks are adept at disseminating information, collection of payment has been problematicxe2x80x94holding back the growth of electronic commerce.
Methods of collecting payment for information can be separated into two broad categories, on-line and off-line. On-line methods include the transfer of credit card numbers and the use of digital cash. Off-line methods require the end-user to mail in cash or checks. These approaches can be cumbersome, time consuming and risky from a security standpoint.
Transferring credit card numbers via the Internet, for example, carries the risk of theft from unscrupulous computer hackers and thieves, who can tap into a server connected to the Internet and search for messages containing 16 digit numbers. Digital money systems (e.g. DigiCash, eCash, etc.) are presently a long way from practical implementation, with no standards having yet been established. Another problem associated with the use of credit cards, is that some users may not even be able to qualify for one, or have a sufficient amount of credit. Vendors are also discouraged from billing small amounts on credit cards because of the relatively high transactional costs as a percent of the sale.
While cryptographic systems will eventually enable the safe transmission of credit card numbers through cyberspace, some users will never feel completely comfortable providing their credit card numbers in this manner, even if the communications are ostensibly made secure.
Additionally, there exists a problem in that casual short-term or single usage visits to an information provider on a computer network cannot be charged in an economical manner for both the information provider and the user. For example, if an information provider wanted to charge twenty-five cents to view a one time copy of a xe2x80x9ctop tenxe2x80x9d list, the end-user obviously would not want to set-up a credit or cash account as the expense to establish such an account would exceed the value of the one-time information obtained. The minimum practical credit card charge exceeds $2.50.
There have been attempts to use existing telephone-based billing and collection systems to bill for such information, however those have many disadvantages. One type is a 900-number-based billing system, which is cumbersome, difficult to use, and generally ineffective as described in more detail below.
Specifically, all of the existing systems use codes that are simply passwords, and are limited to the particular data site for which they were issued. These codes do not represent xe2x80x9cvaluexe2x80x9d and therefore cannot be used to control or limit access to digital data.
A second major problem with existing systems is that the information site must be xe2x80x9cintelligentxe2x80x9d and able to store and maintain codes in order to know which codes are valid (e.g. when does a code expire). This greatly increases the information provider""s cost for providing digital information and greatly limits the number of information providers that can afford the additional overhead, thus reducing commerce and competition on data networks.
A third major problem with existing systems is that neither the data network nor the information provider are connected to the billing system. This severely limits their ability to provide even basic customer service to users of the system.
A fourth major problem with existing systems relates to the use of the 900 system itself. Information providers are limited as to the amounts charged for information. The 900-number system provider in existing systems offers no more than seven different dollar amounts they can charge on their 900-numbers. Each 900-number represents a different dollar amount charged to a consumer. For example, a 900-number system provider has three different 900-numbers, each corresponding to a different dollar value, $10, $15 and $20. An information provider using such a system for billing would be limited to those dollar amounts regardless of the value of the information they were selling. Additionally, the dollar charges cannot reflect the number of times a user, or multiple users, has had access to information, and the consumer is billed immediately for the 900-number call, even if they never receive the digital information.
A specific example of one such system is known as Web 900, offered by Logicom, Inc. In that system, the user calls a given 900-number, in exchange for which he is provided a code valid for a specified time period for unlimited access to a particular information site, and the information site locally verifies the validity of the code. There are several problems with this arrangement. First, there is no way to control access to the information by the number of uses. Users are forced to pay for unlimited access even if the user desires one piece of information or single use access. Second, since the data network has no way of preventing access to unauthorized users in possession of the code, the code could be posted to a BBS or newsgroup on the web, allowing for repeated uncontrolled use by anyone reading the posting. Third, the codes provided are usable only at a particular information site. A code provided for the purchase of five dollars worth of information at information site xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d cannot be used for the purchase of five dollars worth of information at site xe2x80x9cB.xe2x80x9d Finally, the data network must have the ability to store codes, and must have software to verify each code entered.
A principle object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved system for selling digital data.
Another such object of the present invention is a system in which information is communicated to an end-user from a data site, while billing is implemented through a billing system, with communications between the data site and billing system managed by an access management system. A further object of the present invention is to provide such a system wherein the billing system may include a xe2x80x9c900 typexe2x80x9d shared-revenue telephone line.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method and apparatus for using an access management computer to control a user""s access to digital data located at a data site, while causing a billing system to toll the user""s access to the data. In this embodiment of the invention, the access-management computer receives from the billing system a first access code corresponding to the user""s request for access to the digital data. The access management computer receives a second access code from the data site, and verifies that the first access code corresponds to the second access code. (The first and second billing codes may be received in either order.) The access management computer communicates a message confirming the verification to the data site, thereby authorizing the user""s access to the digital data. To complete the transaction, the access management computer authorizes the billing system to post an access charge to an account associated with the user based upon the user""s access to the digital data.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, a method and apparatus are provided for using a billing site to toll a user""s access to digital data at a data site by signaling an access management computer to authorize the user""s access to the digital data. In this embodiment of the invention, the billing site receives a user""s request for access to the digital data, the request for access being associated with a billing account for charging the user, and including a code corresponding to the digital data. The billing site routes to the access management computer a signal indicating that the billing site has received the code corresponding to the user request for access to the digital data. Subsequently, the billing site receives from the access management computer a signal that the user has received access to the digital data. In response, the billing site posts an access charge to the billing account based upon the user""s access to the digital data.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a method and apparatus are provided for a user to access stored digital information at a data site. In this embodiment, the user communicates to a billing system a first access code authorizing the billing system to charge his billing account for access to the stored digital information. The user receives from the billing system a second access code permitting the user to access the stored digital information at the data site. The user connects to the remote data site, and provides to the remote data site the second access code whereby to gain access to the stored digital information.
In still another embodiment of the invention, a method and system are provided for using a billing site to toll a user""s access to a data site through an access management computer, wherein the user establishes a communications link between himself and the billing site, the communications link being associated with a the user""s billing account. A communications link is established between the billing site and the access management computer, and the billing site sends the access management computer a signal indicating that the communications link between the user and the billing site is active. This signal authorizes the user access to the data site. Subsequently, the billing site receives from the access management computer a signal that the user has received access to the data site, and posts via the billing site an access charge to the billing account based upon the user""s access to the data site.
In all of the embodiments described above, the billing site, or billing system, preferably consists of a shared-revenue telephone systemxe2x80x94typically a xe2x80x9c900 numberxe2x80x9d or equivalent. The data sites comprise database providers, for example, as may be found on the internet or through other means of user access. The user is typically remote, while the billing system, access management computer, and data site may be all or in some limited combination co-located.
In accordance with the foregoing, the many features and advantages of the invention will be better understood as the detailed description of the invention proceeds with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.